Early in the morning on August 25, 2021, Lyle Woodrow Hamilton, a most generous, gracious and gentle man rose to new life and new adventures in eternity.
Lyle was born in Chickasha, OK on May 18, 1942 to John W. and Willie Mae (Hambleton) Hamilton. He grew up in Oklahoma and Texas. He graduated from McMurry College in Abilene, Texas, and received a Master of Theology from Southern Methodist University. Lyle was ordained in the Yellowstone Conference of the United Methodist Church and served churches in Troy, Anaconda, Missoula, Valier and Butte, Montana from 1968-88. He served as District Superintendent for Western Montana from 1988-94. He then pastored the Three Forks/ Willow Creek, Montana churches until 2002 when he retired.
Throughout his ministry, Lyle was a connector of people & relationships. He was a leader in the ecumenical Montana Association of Churches for decades, including serving as President. He helped bring the first Hospice to Butte, MT in the late 1980s. In retirement Lyle continued his ministry as Church Relations Coordinator for Intermountain Children’s Home and Services in Helena, Montana, serving as a part time pastor wherever he was needed and offering his talents to support Walk to Emmaus spiritual growth experiences.
Lyle was always extremely proud of his children. Kama is an ordained United Methodist pastor, Kaleb is a family practice physician, and Scott is a pharmacist. In 1993, Lyle married the love of his life, Marianne, also a United Methodist pastor. Together, they danced, led numerous journeys to the Holy Land and traveled widely in Europe, spending extended time in England, Italy, France and Wales. When Marianne retired in 2017, they relocated to The Villages, FL.
Throughout his career, Lyle has never missed an opportunity to offer a listening ear, help a family in crisis, console the grieving, create a memorable wedding, sit with someone at the hospital, visit the prison – or do whatever it took to be of service and to help people grow in faith. In so many ways, those were his life goals. But wait! There’s more! Lyle was a poet. He left behind hundreds of lyric poems written over the course of his life. Over the past several months, as he battled his illness and endured pain, he rewrote and reviewed the poems of his life. And so it is fitting to end these words with his words of hope and promise:
I will praise God thru all the days remaining;
And when my path of life on earth is o’er
I will continue to praise God forever;
As to new heights my spirit still shall soar.
Lyle is survived by his loving wife, Marianne Niesen of The Villages, FL; daughter Kama Hamilton (Doug) Morton of Denver, CO; son Kaleb (Kimra) Hamilton of Austin, TX; stepson Scott Botchek (Samantha Newbould) of Everett, WA; brothers Don (Nancy) Hamilton, Red Lodge, MT and Ray (Laurie) Hamilton, Stamford, CT; sister Rose Ann (Ken) Strawn, Tallahassee, FL; grandsons Weston and Quin Hamilton, Austin, TX; granddaughters Bella & Lily Botchek, Everett Washington and numerous nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Intermountain Children’s Home, 500 S. Lamborn, Helena, MT 59601; St. Paul’s UMC, 512 Logan, Helena, MT 59601 or a charity of your choice.
